Eating My Way Through the Canary Islands: Top 10 Dishes to Taste in the Canaries

Eating my way through the Canary Islands has been and continues to be one of my favorite parts of living in this little corner of the world. Acres and acres of farmland and a subtropical climate provide in-season local ingredients all year, and being surrounded by the sea means that there’s no shortage of fresh and tasty seafood – and people who know how to prepare it to perfection.

Each island has their own claim to fame – Lanzarote’s sweet volcanic wines, El Hierro’s rich, smoky cheeses, and Tenerife’s guachinches serving up fresh, homemade vino and nosh tucked away in the vineyards of the northern mountains.

There may not be a ton of different options, but what traditional Canary Islands´ cuisine lacks in variety, it more than make up for in flavor. Read on for some of my top picks that are about as Canario as you can get…

1. Papas Arrugadas

These tiny, wrinkly potatoes are a staple in the Canarian diet, and no visit to the Canaries is complete without trying them. This simple side dish is prepared in a big, boiling pot of salted water, causing the outer skin to pucker and wrinkle.

Papas arrugadas are found everywhere and impossible to miss. They’re often served as garnish or a side dish for most meat or fish entrees, but are also commonly ordered as a ración – a plate to share with friends. The best part about these tasty treats is the delicious mojo sauce drizzled on top.

Try it here: Literally anywhere. Papas to the archipelago are like schnitzel to Salzburg; everywhere. And as any Canary Island local will tell you, one of the most important parts of papas arrugadas is what´s drizzled on top…

2. Mojo

This tasty sauce comes in 2 varieties and accompanies everything from salads and potatoes to meat and fish. Each restaurant and abuela prepares the sauce slightly differently with their unique ratios of EVOO, garlic, vinegar, herbs and spices.

Mojo Verde

Mojo verde is the milder version and gets its color and flavor from parsley, cumin and/or cilantro. It’s typically served on lighter dishes like fish, seafood and salads.

Mojo Picón

Mojo picón is somewhat spicier (at least that’s what the Canarians say… my California-raised, jalapeño-trained taste buds can’t seem to detect the heat). Mojo picón gets its color and extra kick from paprika and dried red peppers. It tends to be served on heavier dishes, like papas arrugadas, meat and cheese platters.

Try it here: It really depends on your own tastes – more or less garlic, more or less vinegar, etc. My fave is at an amazing Canario tasca in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria – Bodegón Pachichi. Their mojo picón has an tasty kick and is so popular with the locals that you can buy a 1/2 liter for takeaway.

3. Queso Asado // Queso a la Plancha

Deliciously too good to be true, this ración is actually exactly what it sounds like… grilled cheese. The Canary Islands have a long tradition of raising goats and sheep and have truly mastered the art of cheese making.

Queso asado is typically prepared with a soft but firm goat or sheep cheese, grilled to perfection with a crispy crust on the outside and gooey, melty deliciousness on the inside. The dish is either served savory with mojo verde and mojo picón, sweet with miel de la palma (local palm syrup), or mixed with a combination of all three.

In El Hierro and Gran Canaria, the Herreños and Canariones add a special twist by using smoked cheese (queso herreño) – a specialty from the littlest island.

Try it here: Try it anywhere, everywhere, twice a day if you can. In Tenerife and La Gomera the dish is served spectacularly everywhere. In LasPalmas and Gran Canaria in general, it’s not as common, but it’s worth searching for. I’m partial to the one served atLa Otra Punta(near the auditorium at Las Canteras) andMarsalain Vegueta.

4. Almogrote

An unbelievable appetizer, often served as a starter with warm bread, small crunchy toasts, or occasionally crunchy veggies. Originating from the island of La Gomera, almogrote is a starter spread made from strong, hard, cured cheese grated and mixed into a paste with garlic, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, spices and EVOO. If, like me, you’re an admirer of fuerte cheeses, you won’t be able to get enough of this… though you might want to resist if you´re on a first date!

Try it here: I’ve never met an almogrote I didn’t like. This is a safe dish to order pretty much anywhere, especially in La Gomera.

One of my favorite Tenerife restaurants – El Capricho in Bajamar – often invites guests to taste a small sample of their delightful almogrote on the house.For a less traditional taste, Arepera Punto Criollain La Laguna (Tenerife) puts a unique and delicious twist on the dish, serving up papas almogroteadas– french fries smothered in the stuff.

5. Gofio

“Soy más Canario que el gofio.”

To put into perspective just how emblematic this dish is in the Canary Islands, this age-old expression of islander pride means, literally, “I’m more Canarian than gofio.”

Gofio is a cereal grain which has been a staple from the time of the indigenous Guanches and often considered a superfood in the Canaries. It’s usually made from cornmeal, but can be any combination of ground, roasted grains. Gofio can be used to make sweet deserts and breads, as a thickener for soups and creamy, savory dishes, and even brewed into beer a laDorada’s Volcán, a local brewery from Tenerife

Though the habit is no longer as common, many Canarians grew up mixing a spoonful of gofio in their morning milk or cola cao, believed to give them energy for the day. Is it the most delicious treat on the island? Nope. But if you want a real taste of the Canaries, gofio is about as Canarian as it gets. Try is as mouse, bread with almonds and honey or the classic Escaldon de gofio (below).

Try it here: Any homemade mouse de gofio will be a tasty way to end a meal. If you find yourself in Las Canteras, swing by Las Palmas’ iconic Heladeria La Peña Vieja to try their spin on gofio ice cream.

6. Escaldón de gofio // Gofio Escaldado

One of the most common gofio dishes that you’ll find in the guachinches of Tenerife or traditional Canarian restaurants of the islands is escaldón or gofio escaldado. This dish is prepared by using gofio to thicken fresh fish broth, usually infused with a base of onions and garlic. It’s a tasty, filling dish that can be shared as a ración and is typically served with big chunks of sweet red onion to scoop up the goodness.

Escaldón changes a bit in texture and flavor from region to region. On the westernmost islands, it tends to have a thicker consistency similar to mashed potatoes or refried beans, while on the eastern islands it tends to be more like a thick, creamy (all too often pasty) soup. I’m definitely more partial to the western variety and have more or less stopped eating the dish since moving to Gran Canaria…

Try it here: All of the best escaldóns I’ve sampled have been in Tenerife, usually at guachinches. The first one I ever tried and by far the best can be found atArepera Punto Criolla in lovely UNESCO listedLa Laguna, Tenerife.

7. Potaje de Berros

This tasty stew is most typical from the island of La Gomera, but is often offered as a starter on menus throughout the islands. The dish is made primarily from berros (dark, leafy watercress greens) and chickpeas or white beans. It’s sometimes served as a thick, blended soup and sometimes as a broth with generous chunks of root vegetables and corn. A warning to the less carnivorous: while often vegetarian friendly, the broth is sometimes pork based, so be sure to ask your server!

Try it here: The dish is a specialty from La Gomera and they do it best, however anywhere offering the soup as a starter on the menu del día will give you a good idea what it’s all about. My fave was atLas Chacarasnear Hermigua in La Gomera.

8. ALL the fish

I flipflopped for quite a while deciding which of my favorite Canarian fish dishes to add to this list – so much so that my next top ten list will likely be dedicated just to the goodies that come from under the sea.

After many years in mainland Spain as a mainly vegetarian/occasional pescatarian, I’ve had all too much practice avoiding all things meaty (which in Spain is basically everything). In Madrid, this often meant eating dinner before going out to dinner and religiously frequenting any tapas joint that would grant my request for algo que no lleva carne-si-puede-ser-por-favor without exaggerated eye rolling from the camarero. Needless to say, moving back to the seaside for my once or twice a week fish fix has definitely been one of life’s little luxuries.

Some of my favorites from the region include cherne (stone bass), sama (sea bream) and vieja (parrot fish). Cherne is a white fish, usually served grilled and crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside and smothered in mojo verde. Sama is a larger fish, often stuffed with garlic, doused with EVOO and served on a large platter to share with friends and family. Not sure which to choose? Try ordering a parrilada – a big mixed platter of different fish and/or shellfish, usually accompanied by potatoes or other root veggies.

Try it here: One of the most memorable meals I’ve had in the islands was at the gorgeous El Burgado in Buenavista del Norte, Tenerife. We started with fresh tuna tartare and mussels and feasted on an exquisitely grilled sama, all served at our outdoor table amidst small streams trickling down into the ocean beside us. It’s not necessary, however, to do fancy to get good fish. Most of the sea side chiringuitos will leave your mouth watering for more.

9. Shellfish

Like their fishy friends, I found it similarly impossible to pick just one or two species of shellfish from the islands. Some of the most popular shellfish dishes include chipirones (baby squid, usually breaded and fried ala sahariana),pulpo frito (octopus – fried instead of boiled like is common in northern Spain), langostinos (prawns), mejillones (mussels) and one of my faves, lapas (limpets).

Try it here: I love the lapas at La Hila in San Sebastian de La Gomera &El Refugio in El Hierro, and the pulpo frito in Las Palmas’ La Barbería is definitely memorable.Santa Cruz de Tenerife’s old Canarian mansion-turned-restaurant La Hierbitais known for their fish and seafood parrilladas and you honestly can’t go wrong at the exquisiteMesón el MonasterioinLos Realejos (Tenerife).

10. Chocos Asados

The one under-the-sea delight that deserves it’s own special number on this list are these guys. Chocos are cuttlefish (a type of squid). When well-prepared, chocos are one of my favorite seaside treats, but it definitely might not be for everyone.

The squid are prepared whole and served lightly charred, tentacles and all – something that may be reminiscent of a sci-fi flick for the less adventurous eater. If done right, chocos are slightly browned at the top, crispy at the tentacles and smothered in mojo verde. If overdone, the texture quickly changes from soft-but-firm to chewy and more or less awful. If trying chocos for the first time, be sure it’s a place that’s well known for seafood and preferably not a total tourist trap.

BONUS! Carnivore Delights

(IE, Stuff I’ve never tried but people seem to like)

While not my forte, I figured I’d “throw a bone” so to speak to the meat-eaters out there. While I haven’t tried any of these dishes myself, they’re typical of the region and can be found on most Canarian menus. In no particular order:

Ropa Vieja: a highly seasoned stew prepared with chickpeas and an assortment of meat, typical in the most Canarian of restuarants, and especially at Tenerife’s guachinches. I once tried a pescatarian-friendly version of this dish with octopus in place of pork and red meat – ropa vieja conpulpo at Bochinche El Chato (a fantastically authentic spot in the heart of Las Palmas).

Carne de cabra: goat meat

Pata asado: roasted pork leg meat, often served on sandwiches or bocadillos

Chorizo de Terror: Gooey sausage meat from the mountainous, agricultural region of Teror in Gran Canaria, usually served in a bocadillo

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1) I LOVE all squid so we totally agree on this! 2) I’m also Californian and laughed at your comment about how Spaniards think something it spicy and we are like ‘Whaaaattttt? Where’s the spice?’ You wanna try spicy have some habanero salsa! 🙂 Speaking of which I just bought a tortilla press so I can finally eat decent corn tortillas in Spain.

This Canaria food looks like an interesting variation on typical Northern Spanish food ( I Live in Madrid and it gets pretty darn boring going to Spaniard’s houses for dinner here as it is always the same 5-7 ingredients or dishes). You may have convinced me to come all the way to Las Islas to do some food touring!

Man, I would do some pretty awful things for some habanero salsa or fresh jalapeños! Tortillo pro-tip for a fellow Californiana: the big Carrefours usually sell some pretty legit corn/flour blend tortillas in the deli section with the fresh breads 🙂

I’m a huge fun of seafood, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy trying out the local fare which seems to offer a wide array of fish and shellfish. I’d love to have some of the gofio as well, since it’s so symbolic of the Canary Islands 🙂

I don’t know why the idea of wrinkly potatoes is making me giggle but it is. I need to try them! The grilled cheese is totally talking my language – cheese addict here! For the gofio, I think we’d seek out the beer as not come across beer made from this grain before. I’m not so keen on watercress-type greens so might skip the barras but definitely want ALL the fish and shellfish, and yes yes yes to the cuttlefish!

All the fish ever! I love eating the local fish dishes when visiting islands! As a fellow Californian with a Mexican best friend, I’m with ya on the spice. But on the other hand, my boss is German and thinks that ketchup is too spicy. I guess it’s all personal preference, haha!

Hahah, when I moved to Spain and my Spanish roommate told me she didn’t eat black pepper because it’s “too spicy” I completely and totally believe it was a joke! Of course it wasn’t, and she’s definitely not the last person to have told me the same.

All of the food looks so incredible (even the seafood which I’m allergic to). I love your comment about the spice levels. I thought I could handle spicy foods growing up in California as well. But when I moved to Australia, my Sri Lankan coworker frequently brings in food for me and dear lord I had no idea what spice was! I cannot wait to visit the Canaries one day and try all the foods you listed. Especially the queso because who doesn’t love queso!

Wow this food sounds incredible!! I’ve always wanted to go to the Canaries – especially for the seafood! The grilled cheese dish sounds dreamy too, this wasn’t the best choice to read when lunch is still an hour away… xoxox

You’re not the only one who’s hungry! I’d most certainly be up for the squid, and it’s something I often cook at home with butter beans, tomato and paprika. I have to be careful with sauces as I’m coeliac and allergic to milk, but there’s still plenty here I could eat and love.

When I think of Spain I usually already know that the food will not be great … Tapas is not for me, I do not like bread. Of course there are exceptions, but from what I know, this will be the rule!
In the Canaries it seems to be even more interesting !!

Wow – great Mediterranean cuisine – brings all the vacations to mind. Of course I love gambas and all the other sea food, but the queso asado looks super-yummy….and I could just dive into mojo. Brought a couple of bottles back with me from Fuerteventura.

Okay, WOW, I really shoudn’t have read this on an empty stomach! I have family from the Canary Islands so these dishes definitely remind me of home. Eating your way through any place is the right way to travel 😉